"The president’s national co-chairs will be tremendous assets on the ground as we build the biggest grassroots campaign in history,” Obama's campaign manager Jim Messina said in a statement. “They each share the president’s vision for a future where every American can have a fair shot at success, where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded."

The extensive surrogate list gives the president some political cover on several fronts. Feingold's inclusion is aimed at progressives unhappy with the extent of the administration's progress on liberal priorities. Feingold himself recently blasted the president's decision to embrace his outside super PAC. The inclusion of gay rights activists and HRC president Joe Solmonese is aimed at outreach to gay and lesbian voters, despite the president's reluctance to embrace same-sex marriage. And labor is represented as well, with Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of a California AFL-CIO affiliate, on the list. The campaign also included volunteers, activists and local leaders from important swing states — including VIrginia, North Carolina, and Florida.